Hair stylist Vidal Sassoon gives a model a close-cropped hairdo at a preview of the New York Couture Group styles in New York in this 1966 photo.

Say the words “Sassoon cut” and a sharp, short geometric hairstyle comes to mind. That is as true today as it was in the 1960s when an English hairdresser revolutionized the industry with his precision cutting technique.

As news spread Wednesday of the death of Vidal Sassoon at age 84, the hairstyling community was quick to remember his accomplishments.

“He completely changed the industry,” said Charlie Price, editorial director at Antoine du Chez. “All of a sudden you had wash-and-wear hair rather than being required to sit under the dryer.”

But Sassoon was more than a technician. “He was also an artist and had a fashion sense that was high-end and sophisticated,” Price said.